Page 53 of Wilderness Daddy

Chapter Twelve

Akari

What was I thinking? I have no clue where Landon is other than some GPS coordinates I found on the Wilderness Man website. And the GPS doesn’t work out here like it does in the city. No turn left at Maple Road. I shake my head. Jesus. He’s my wilderness man Daddy and I need to find him. I need to tell him how I feel. But I’m in way over my head.

And I miss him.

After watching his videos, I know he misses me too. He talks about me a lot. Sometimes it felt as if he was talking directly to me.

Even though I’m ready to walk away from it all, the business and my family, the one thing I still can’t walk away from is Landon Steed. These last few weeks, I’ve been aching for him and not just sexually. I honest-to-goodness miss him. I miss the way he makes me feel. The way he calls me on my crap, makes me see that my attitude is a defense mechanism and that it’s okay to be vulnerable. I miss his easy-going smile. His flirty dimple and his sense of humor. I also miss his sexy dominance. God, I miss that.

I love the way Daddy takes care of me without making me feel incapable of caring for myself. I want to please him. Hear him call me his good girl.

The GPS I bought has my route programmed into it and beeps to show me which way to go, but there’s nothing exact about it and I’ve lost the stupid signal—again. I shake the thing in my hand and growl at it. I want more than anything to throw it against a tree. It would be highly satisfying, but I need the damn thing.

I’d never even been in the woods before. I’m not really an outdoorsy girl. I’ve never been camping or hiking, and I’m not a fan of bugs. This early in the spring there doesn’t seem to be many of those at least. It’s still too cold.

I’ve watched all of the Wilderness Man videos and although they don’t make up for my lack of experience, I’ve learned a lot.

I look around at the huge trees surrounding me. It’s a vast forest and everywhere I turn looks the same. “Watching a video is a lot different than being here,” I say aloud just to hear something besides birds and rustling, creaking branches.

Grant was no help either. After I got the initial information out of him and he got his dumb fishing pole back, he wouldn’t tell me anything else. Of course, he didn’t know I was going to do something crazy like go look for his brother in the middle of the wilderness.

My hiking pack is heavy, filled with all kinds of survival stuff, as well as water and nutritious, protein- and fat-rich snacks, so I stop to better distribute the weight. I place it on a rock and take my water out first. I don’t think I’ve ever been so thirsty. Glancing at my watch I see it’s getting close to dinnertime so I grab one of the protein bars I’d packed. The sun is getting lower in the sky and once again I wonder what I was thinking. Why did I think he would be easy to find? As if these mountains had directional signs ready for lost, inexperienced hikers.

The water shoves down the lump of frustration, and maybe self-pity, in my throat, but my emotions sit heavy on my chest as the direness of my situation sinks in.

I’ve been without signal for over an hour now so I’m basically walking aimlessly and when the signal comes back who knows how far off track I’ll be. Without a signal, I can’t even ping my brother and let him know where I am.

I plant my ass on a rock and let my face fall into my hands. I’m already exhausted, as most of the hike thus far has been uphill, but I know sulking is useless. It’s not going to solve anything. Still, I sit for ten minutes anyway. What was it the Wilderness Man said?

Out here energy is currency? Bloody hell it is and I’m broke!

I scold myself for pouting and rise to put my pack back on. “You can do this,” I coach. It’s beautiful out here, smells earthy and a little like the holidays with the heavy evergreen scent. I focus on that and plod on.

Walking again only clears a little of the heaviness in my chest. Being alone, chilly, and in basic silence has my brain whirling. I didn’t think this through. I thought I had a day’s hike to get to Landon, which was a feat on its own. I certainly didn’t realize I’d have detours that would make having to sleep out here alone a very real possibility. I pick up my pace.

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